BABYLON AND PERSIA

360 MEDIA, BABYLON, AND PERSIA.10. This is the tragedy in its grand and simplefeatures, divested of the diffuse and conflicting state¬ments, the puerile anecdotes of the Greek chroniclers,and viewed by the light of the great Behistuninscription, which gives it in the following brief, butsufficiently explicit paragraph :There are, among the Babylonian "contracttablets,"two dated September and October of " thefirst year of King' Barziya" confirmation, ifsuch were needed, of this statement, of the universalacceptation of the usurper's claim, and of the credu¬lity with which his self-assertion met " in theprovinces."" . . . When Kambujiya had proceeded to Egypt, then the slatebecame wicked.Then the lie became abounding in the land, botliin Persia and in Media, and in the other provinces."Afterwards there was a certain man, a Magian, named Gau¬mata. ... He thus lied to the state : ' I am Bardiya, the son ofKurush, the brother of Kambujiya.' Then the whole state became"rebellious." (Spring 522 li.c.) " Froni Kambujiya it went over tohim, both Persia and Media, and the other provinces. Pie seizedthe empire. On the ninth day of the month Garmapada, then itwas he seized the empire.* Afterwards Kambujiya, having killedhimself, died. . . . After Gaumata the Magian had dispossessedKambujiya both of Persia and Media, and the dependent provinces,he did after his own desire ;he became king."* In July or August. This probably refers to the consecration 01inauguration at Pasargada;.